Capito’s bipartisan bill would protect customs, border patrol from opioid exposures

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees would be protected from accidental exposure to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids under bipartisan legislation recently proposed by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

“Our Customs and Border Protection officers play a vital role in efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by detecting and stopping the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids,” Sen. Capito said. “It is essential they are protected from exposure to these dangerous chemicals.”

Sen. Capito on Feb. 27 introduced the Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act of 2020, S. 3345, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) to require CBP to issue safety protocols for handling synthetic opioids, provide training to officers who could come in contact with the drugs in the line of duty, and provide protective equipment to officers who may be exposed, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s office.

“I’m proud to join Senator Peters in introducing the Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act, which would require CBP to put in place specific protocols, procedures, and training for the safe handling of these deadly substances,” she said. “I look forward to working with CBP on their continued efforts to ensure the safety of their workforce as they strive to keep us safe.”

Sen. Peters noted that “a lethal dose of fentanyl is about the same size as just a few grains of salt, so it’s absolutely vital that our nation’s border security professionals have the training, equipment and resources they need to safely search for, handle and dispose of this deadly substance.”

The National Border Patrol Council supports S. 3345, which is the U.S. Senate companion bill to the same-named H.R. 4379 introduced in October 2019 by U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in their chamber, which passed the measure in December 2019.